


No Longer Home

by Tangent101



Series: A New Beginning [4]
Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Blackwell Academy (Life is Strange), Classes will be like in high school, F/F, I've already crafted schedules for a couple of the characters and partial schedules for others, Max and Chloe meet early, Rachel is Missing, Slow Burn, Some things may differ thought, Start Of The School Year, There's two dorms and the rooms are smaller, Things have changed, Why Dontnod didn't intelligently research schools and dorms I have no idea
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-26
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:26:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28334592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tangent101/pseuds/Tangent101
Summary: Chloe brings Max back home for dinner. But things get awkward even before David comes home.
Relationships: Maxine "Max" Caulfield/Chloe Price
Series: A New Beginning [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1854292
Comments: 20
Kudos: 17





	1. Chapter 1

Home. It used to be that word meant something. Well, something _decent_ at least, instead of anxiety, stress, and a complete lack of privacy. The last time this place truly felt like home... it was the last time Max had visited. The day Dad died. I paused, not hearing Max behind me, and turned to look at her.  
  
She was still in the driveway next to my truck, staring up at the house nervously. I couldn't help but smile. She's still Max Caulfield. If she were a dog, it would be one of those tiny dogs that's a bundle of nerves. I motioned her to follow. "Come on in, don't be shy."  
  
"The house still looks... nice," Max said, and then winced. I glanced back at the house, the front only half-painted blue. Dad had been working on it when he died, and even after over four years of squatting here, David never bothered getting off his scrawny ass to do anything but work on his car. It was loud and rude and guzzled gas and was undoubtedly a symbol of how tiny his dick was.  
  
"Yeah. Home, shit home," I replied, my voice weary. I turned and pushed through the door. I could hear Max scurrying up behind me.  
  
My nose was greeted with the scent of garlic, tomato, and seafood, and I grinned as I heard Max's stomach gurgle behind me. I turned back toward her with a grin and said "Ah, I see! You didn't miss _me_ , you missed Mom's cooking!" Max winced at my comment as her cheeks colored. My smile faded a tad at that. _Dumbass. You have to be more careful. She's always been high-strung. She's feeling guilty for vanishing for five years. Yeah, I'm angry but... she's here now. That's what matters._  
  
"Chloe! That's no way to speak to Max!" Joyce's voice chided me from the kitchen, reinforcing my guilt. Naturally _she'd_ misconstrue simple teasing. I couldn't even be _quiet_ around her without her taking offense. Nothing I did was good enough.  
  
"Jeeze, Mom, I was teasing her," I snapped back before I could stop myself. "Max knows this, unlike Sergeant Pepper." I caught a glimpse out of the corner of my eye of Max shrinking in on herself. _Oh fuck._  
  
And then she surprised me and rallied, straightening up and forcing a smile on her face. "Of course I know. We're friends," Max said. I heard a tap of plastic on metal and then footsteps as Joyce moved up beside me in the kitchen doorway, and glanced over to see my Mom smiling as her gaze descended upon Max.  
  
_Of course she's smiling. Max has_ always _been her favorite. I'm sure she wishes Max was her daughter and I'd never been born. It'd been better if_ I'd _been Ryan and Vanessa's daughter. Lord knows I get along swimmingly with them even as Joyce sees Max as the daughter she never had. But she's stuck with me. Joy._  
  
"And there she is-- a lovely young woman. How are you doing, Max?"  
  
"Hi, Joyce, it's nice to see you again. You look the same," Max replied with a shy smile.  
  
She seemed taken aback at my mother's sardonic response, "Like I'm still a waitress at Two Whales after all these years?" She gestured down at her waitress uniform she'd not bothered to change out of after finishing her shift.  
  
"No, like you still look pretty," Max responded and Mom relaxed, a genuine smile appearing on her face.  
  
"Nice save, kid. You're still smart. So Chloe said you're attending Blackwell now?" She sighed and tsked at me. "I had high hopes for Chloe back at Blackwell, but she had to... well, I'm sure she's told you."  
  
_Fucking..._ my eyes narrowed and while I tried my best my voice was still venomous in response. "Yeah, I did. I don't keep secrets from Max." _Well, not counting lies of omission. She doesn't need to know how shitty David is._ "And you know? She didn't get in my face about it, or try to shame me about it."  
  
"Um. What are you making, Joyce? It smells divine!" Max interjected.  
  
Mom turned back toward Max, seemingly grateful for the distraction. "I made a batch of cioppino. David should be off work soon and I thought it would be nice for us all to sit down for dinner and get reacquainted. It's a shame your parents didn't stick around, it would be nice to reconnect with them."  
  
Max shrugged apologetically. "They wanted to get home before it got too late. They have work in the morning."  
  
"It's good to hear they've gotten back on their feet. I know you hated moving away, but you needed to move forward with your life. I did, after William passed on. Chloe..." she stared sadly at me, "Chloe chose to stay angry."  
  
_Yeah. Talk about me like I'm not here. Can't respond, we haven't gotten noms yet._ I clenched my jaw to keep from responding.  
  
"So, what are they doing for work? Did your mom ever finish her degree to become a librarian?"  
  
_Okay. Fuck this bullshit..._ "Yeah, that's nice, but you can interrogate her _while_ she's eating. Look at her, she's famished! She's not eaten all day!"  
  
Max's stomach took that moment for an opportunistic grumble and I couldn't keep my amusement from showing. _Perfect timing, Max!_  
  
Mom rolled her eyes and smiled. "Okay, I'll get you both bowls. But you're to stick around _after_ you eat. It's been years since _I've_ talked to Max, and I'm sure David would love to talk to her as well."  
  
_Fucking... you're trying to pull that whole 'one big happy family' shtick again? Okay. For Max I can do this. I just have to keep food in my mouth and avoid saying anything._ Max and I headed to the dining room table. I gave her hand a quick squeeze as I slumped into the chair next to her. Mom ladled some soup into bowls for each of us. My stomach let out a grumble of its own and Max grinned at me. "Yeah, man, I'm hungry like the wolf, Max. It's a good thing Mom's such a good cook, otherwise I'd have to have otter for dinner."  
  
"Clearly," she said, smiling as she started spooning cioppino into her mouth.  
  
I grinned back. "Max, do you know how awesome this is? I get my best friend back, and she arrives on the back of a freaking _motorcycle_! Never in a million years would I have expected this!"  
  
"What?" I barely suppressed a wince at Mom's outburst behind me. "Oh, Max... I was hoping you could be a _good_ influence in her life now. But this... you're better than this, Max."  
  
Max looked like my mother had smacked her across the face and I glared at her over my shoulder. "Oh, God, Mom, please do not give Max any shit for that. And Max isn't my keeper. She's my _friend_ and she's an adult. She's definitely too old to get lectures from you or Sergeant Pepper--"  
  
"Call him David if you don't want to be lectured. You only get one damn bowl of soup tonight," she snapped back and stalked back to the kitchen.  
  
I turned my gaze back to Max who looked dazed. _Fuck me... I can't keep my damn mouth shut, can I?_ "Sorry, Max," I said in a softer tone, trying to avoid being overheard. "I should have taken you to Two Whales instead of inflicting Mom on you."  
  
"No, no, it's okay. I just..." Max glanced past me and sighed before returning to her cioppino. I turned toward my Mom but paused as Max's hand touched mine. Glancing back, she shook her head and my sigh echoed hers before I returned to spooning some cioppino into my mouth. It was almost tasteless now. Once again I'd fucked thing sup.  
  
The front door clicked and swung open. I resisted turning toward David, eating more cioppino. My night was on its way from bad to worse... "Sorry I'm late Joyce, those assholes at Blackwell were running me-- what's going on in here? I don't like strangers here," I heard his voice descend from grousing to a snarl, and heard Mom walk into the hallway.  
  
"This is Max, one of Chloe's friends---" she started to say before David cut her off.  
  
"Great. Another of her 'friends.' It was bad enough when that Rachel girl was coming over and causing trouble. You dealing drugs too, Max? Is that how you know Chloe?" he stepped up and snapped at Max, who recoiled in shock.  
  
"David! Max is an old friend, she's attending Blackwell," she chided him, taking his arm in her hand. "Chloe just asked if she could join us for dinner, and I thought it would be nice to see how her folks are doing."  
  
David let out one of those long-suffering sighs like the world was shitting all over him. I heard them all the time when he was upset with me. "Sorry, Joyce. I've just been dealing with entitled Blackwell brats all day. The last thing I want is to see another one here. Could you catch up with her in a day or two?" I blinked at the utter _gall_ of the man. He insults Max _and_ Rachel and turns it into an imposition on _him_.  
  
Naturally, Mom immediately crumpled. "I'm sorry, Max. David's had a rough day. Maybe we can catch up at Two Whales? I can promise you our waffles are still as good as you remember."  
  
Max was already standing, and I joined her. She snagged both our bowls and brought them to the sink, and smiled over at Joyce. "Thank you, your cioppino is as good as always. It was always William's favorite!" I watched the color fade from David's face and he turned and marched toward his mancave in the garage. I glanced at Mom who looked like Max had smacked her in the face with a trout. Max glanced from the door David had fled through back to my mom. "Um, did I say-- I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."  
  
_Way to go, Max! All the more leftovers for me!_ I snagged her arm and said "It's okay, Max. Come on. Mom, I'll be out late. I'm helping Max settle in."  
  
"Yeah, Chloe's agreed to help tutor me with algebra and chemistry!" Max added.  
  
Mom looked amused as she looked at me. "I think Chloe's got some reading ahead of her, then. Just don't talk her into doing your homework for you like back in elementary school." I actually found myself smiling back at Mom. I'd half-expected Mom to piss all over Max's hopes. I mean, I'd never taken algebra in school. How could I help her? _I wonder if Steph could hook me up with some books...._ I turned and headed toward the door, dragging Max with me.  
  
"Later, Mom."  
  
"Goodbye, Joyce. Thank you for the cioppino," Max said and I dragged her out the door before David returned to ruin the moment.


	2. Chapter 2

"Chloe, slow down! I'm going to trip!" Max called to me, laughing, as I pulled her down the hill and away from Blackhell. If I'd given Max a moment to think she'd have started back toward the school, accepting half a bowl of soup as adequate fare. Okay, maybe she _was_ used to eating so little. She's thinner than me, and my metabolism burns through _everything_. "Seriously, where are we going?" she added, and I turned toward her, walking backward down the hill as I drew her onward.   
  
"To the best food in Arcadia Bay, bar only Mom's kitchen: Two Whales! I just _know_ you're craving their Belgium waffles! How long has it been?" I responded, grinning hard enough that my cheeks were starting to ache.   
  
Max glanced down and I paused, her hands still in mine. "What's up? Don't tell me you don't _like_ waffles anymore? I mean, if so, Jake's burgers have only gotten better over the years. And the fries... fuck, even Rachel couldn't help but snack on them, and she was constantly dieting!"   
  
A snicker escaped from Max and she looked back at me. "Chloe, you're a bottomless pit. I mean, we just ate..." she said. I just stared at her and her cheeks colored. "We did!"   
  
"Max, a half bowl of soup isn't a meal. It's an appetizer. Now, spill. Why the guilty face?"   
  
"I-- I don't have much money on me, and film costs a lot," Max said, looking chagrined. "Mom and Dad are letting me use the credit card... but only for emergencies. I can't splurge on Two Whales!"   
  
_So that's what's up_. I stepped up to Max and put an arm around her shoulders as I turned to face the bottom of the hill. "Max, don't worry about it. Jake likes me and he doesn't let me go hungry. Fuck, Jose and Sam indulge me from time to time as well. The only one we have to worry about is Patrick, and he works the graveyard shift."   
  
Max looked over at me. "Patrick? Why...."   
  
"I can be... an ass at times," I admitted. At Max's snort I grinned at her. "Dude, don't start. But he's a real hardass, worse than David. The only person he tolerates is Jake, and that's because Jake would fire him if he got too pissy."   
  
"So why is he still working there?"   
  
I shrugged. "He's willing to work after midnight. The only people who talk to him are a couple older waitresses. He's stuck behind the grill after all." Max remained tense and I let my arm drop from her. She gave me a startled glance and after a moment put her arm against my back. _Ah, she's just confused about something. Wait a minute..._ I started to chuckle. "Dude, don't tell me you thought _Mom_ did the cooking at Two Whales? She's just a waitress, she doesn't do any cooking there."   
  
"I-- I knew that!" Max squeaked.   
  
"Riiiight. You totally thought Mom did all the cooking and everything there. I bet you thought she owned the place too!" I teased her. Whether or not my suspicion was right, it was fun to tease her.   
  
"You suck," she said, slouching down. I gave her a quick side-hug and a kindly smile as she kept sneaking glances at me. She paused, startled. "Wait a minute. I thought the waffles were hers! You mean...."   
  
"Yup! Mom stole the recipe from work. Oh, she's tweaked it a little, I'm sure, but it's Jake's recipe. Or rather his grandma's. She gave it to him when he first bought the diner."   
  
Max gave a small disbelieving scoff as her gaze returned to the street and then her lips curled up into a smirk. "You know, Mom tried to _beg_ that recipe off of your mom? And it turns out she _stole_ it from work?"   
  
"Yeah... best keep that quiet. I don't want her to get into trouble. I kinda prefer her homemade pancakes to the package mixes." I glanced over at Max, whose eyes were twinkling with repressed laughter.   
  
"Don't worry. I know better than to get between you and food," she said with a wink and pulled away from me, a grin starting to play on her face.   
  
"Got that right! I'll eat you up along with the food! Om nom nom!" I teased and lunged at her. She giggled and dodged my half-hearted grab.   
  
We reached the end of the street at the base of the hill and turned toward Two Whales. I half-suspected a huge part of the reason Mom continued to work here was it wasn't far from our house. She frequently walked to work, though David would give her rides home. Walking up that hill could be a real bitch, especially after being on your feet all day.   
  
David couldn't help but chew me out over that as well. In his eyes? _I_ should be giving her rides home. It didn't matter if I was out doing something with Rachel, hanging with Justin and Trevor, or _at work myself_ , he expected me to drop everything for Mom. _Fucker._   
  
The parking lot was nearly full and I could hear the diner was packed even from outside. Frank's RV was fortunately nowhere to be seen. Given I owed Frank fifty bucks... well, the last thing I needed was for Max to freak out by learning I owed a drug dealer money.   
  
I paused upon entering the diner, Max putting a hand on my shoulder to avoid bouncing off of me. Angel sat at the counter, twirling back and forth on the swiveling stool. I smirked as I caught her eye. Max and I would do the same thing when we were young. "Fancy seeing you here. You decide not to eat with the hoi polloi at Blackwell?"   
  
Angel rolled her eyes. "When's the last time you ate at Blackwell? I _never_ liked school food, and I doubt a private school will splurge on decent food when the rich kids just order out anyway. Also, I didn't buy into the meal program."   
  
"So mommy and daddy always indulged you? Or did you bag your lunch?" I snarked.   
  
She gave me a thousand-yard stare and deadpan said "They're dead. Died when I was a baby. My adoptive parents too. Car accident when I was 15."   
  
"Fuck. Man, I'm so sorry. I-- I know what that's like..." I clenched my jaw shut and broke my gaze with her. She didn't need or _want_ to hear about my fucked-up life. Hell, it pissed _me_ off when some asshole tried to console me over Dad with _their_ tales of woe. Misery does _not_ fucking love company! It wallows in solitude. I caught a glimpse of Max squirming behind me, no doubt remembering William (or maybe her hella awesome takedown of step-douche... oh, the memory of that would help me sleep happily for weeks to come!).   
  
Angel shrugged, her expression neutral. "No biggie. It was years ago. I'm surprised to see you two here though," she added with a smirk of her own. "I mean, you _just_ go back together a few hours ago, and you're already taking her out on a date?"   
  
I could feel heat radiating off of Max's face without even turning to see that luminous blush of hers. My own tongue was tied in knots and Angel's amused expression showed this was more than adequate vengeance for my accidental faux pas. Her gaze left mine to look over the diner, packed full of parents seeing their brats off at Blackwell before they fled to their cushy homes, and then returned to my own. "Tell you what. I'll treat you two to dinner and we can bring them back to the dorms. In return, tell me what's of interest around here while we walk back."   
  
"Angel, you don't have t--" Max started to protest Angel's generosity, but was waved down.   
  
"Max, you're not going to get a booth tonight. It'll be quieter back at the dorms. Besides, you're a friend," she added with a small smile. "Friends look out for each other."   
  
I couldn't help but snort. "Okay, Max is pretty awesome, I'm the first to admit that. But you've known her for what, two hours? And you're already her friend?"   
  
Angel shrugged. "Why not? Did you wait a week or more before you two decided you were friends when you first met? I don't mind taking a chance. Do you?"   
  
Angel's mismatched blue eyes just bore into me and I found myself nibbling on my lower lip. "You know? Fuck it. Friends," I said and extended my hand to her. She glanced at it and then back up at me as she took it and shook hands solemnly.   
  
"So. What do you want to eat?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, this section of stories was far harder to write than I expected. I didn't not intend on taking a month or more to write things. I mean, admittedly there were RL things going on as well... (my father-in-law passed away so my spouse and I had to head to Georgia to help out (with my spouse staying there for nearly a month, while I only stayed down there for a weekend - someone has to keep an eye on the pup and the queen of the household, our cat)) but honestly? It was more writer's block keeping this down than anything else.
> 
> I do have a solution to this. Each day I should write a bare minimum of one sentence. If that's all I do? I still get stuff done. 
> 
> Angel is... interesting to write for. She has her own opinions of what she's doing, and for all that she's my own character, she still can be a mystery to me. Or at least a challenge to write! ;) And she's more interested in the next story, set in Blackwell itself with the first few days of classes.
> 
> While I'd considered a small bit more (including Chloe teasing Angel on ordering several meals for herself - she's got a mini fridge, so she can keep leftovers and the like for breakfast and the like) this honestly looks like a good wrap-up point. We'll be shifting back to Max with the next story as we start delving into Blackwell Academy itself.
> 
> Enjoy!

**Author's Note:**

> I must admit that I've had considerable difficulty writing this part of the story. It finally started to flow when I realized it needed to be told from Chloe's point of view (which is why this is a new story rather than another chapter for "Friends, New and Old"). But it also was difficult because I was struggling to figure out Chloe. And the Chloe of this story has differences from the Chloe of the game.
> 
> Part of this lies with the fact _this_ Chloe was not a rape attempt survivor (and I know Nathan's fandom will be up in arms at my calling it that, but from a psychological viewpoint, in-game Chloe was dosed with a date-rape drug and had a period of time where she didn't know what happened... much like someone dosed with a roofie who _had_ been raped - the act of being roofied and not knowing what happened can also cause intense psychological harm to a person). She also had a note from Rachel, so she doesn't have the lingering thought of "is Rachel dead?" and mostly feels abandoned by Rachel. Mostly though? Max came back and on the first day? Visited her. She's got to feel a bit better because of that.
> 
> That said? I believe that canon Chloe had considerable self-doubt issues that she just usually avoided voicing. You can catch a few moments of it here and there (like after Max found the pictures of Rachel and Frank together and Chloe blamed her dad for dying because if she isn't blaming others, then she's the one to blame). We never get the same glimpse of Chloe's mind as we did for Max (I'm not counting BtS - again, I'll upset some folk who insist it's canon despite the fact Dontnod didn't create the game or write its story). So we can only guess what Chloe is feeling and thinking.
> 
> Joyce is another area I've had problems with. While some of the dialogue options were drawn out of the game itself, I had to guess as to how Joyce would react. I based my interpretation of Joyce off of her own comments in the game - including how she basically saw Max as a means of "calming" Chloe down. Now, would Joyce state, in front of Chloe, that Chloe was angry and not moving on? Maybe, maybe not. But this is the same woman who knows David hits her daughter and yet blames Chloe by stating Chloe "pushes" David and claims it's unfair for David. So... yeah. I could see her being blunt in front of Chloe because "it's for Chloe's own good."
> 
> That said? At the end, she _supports_ Chloe. She doesn't sneer at the thought of Chloe tutoring Max. She knows that Chloe thinks highly of Max and would probably do her best to make sure Max learns this stuff. And she's right about this. I'm unsure if the shift in Joyce's actions here are too abrupt or not but... the best characters are those who are grey, rather than black-and-white.
> 
> And hey, it's a fanfic. This is my interpretation of Chloe and Max and even Joyce and David. So I hope you enjoy this, and do feel free to comment. :) 
> 
> (Special thanks to folks over on Tumblr for their comments (including having Joyce making cioppino for dinner) and views. It helped me break through that writer's block.)


End file.
